The business world is your oyster when you own a small company. Naturally, responsibilities come with small business ownership: local and federal tax payments, W-2 production deadlines and myriad legalities all make your job complex. Nevertheless, you get to make the rules. And the summer months bring opportunities for additional policies you can implement to set the tone for your business culture and to reward employees.

Of course, work comes first. The business perks you offer may depend upon the type of company you operate, but here are some of the most popular summer perks and how you might implement them.

Summer Office Attire

Formal suits and ties may keep employees warm in the wintertime, but they're not very well-suited to summers high temperatures. Instead, consider relaxing your workplace dress code while it's warm. A business-casual approach to summer office attire can work wonders on employee productivity, whether you and your staff work indoors or out.

A looser fit may liven up the atmosphere, but you do need to establish limits. As a businessperson, you need to consider how a summer office attire policy might affect your current and potential customers opinions of your company  you do not want to offend anyone. According to a poll by Opinion Research Corporation, it might be best to exclude miniskirts, flip-flops and strapless tops from the list of appropriate workplace attire.

Summer Hours

Changing your summer schedule can have a profound effect on employee morale. It tells your workers that you care about them and about their families, and in return, you may see an increase in employee loyalty and hard work.

Be sure any summer hours you set fit the work you do. If your company installs underground ductwork, for example, you might decide to make the most of the extra daylight and turn your regular five-day workweek into three longer days instead. Other ideas include:

Opening your business earlier in the day and allowing employees to finish their shifts sooner.

Giving your employees Fridays  or every other Friday  off.

Adding an extra holiday day or two to the summer schedule as a surprise.

Of course, if you make any change to your regular hours for the summer, you also need to forewarn your customers so they know when they will be able to reach you.

Summer Corporate Adventures and Events

Gone are the days of stuffy corporate meetings in sterile rooms. Instead, many company owners are choosing the great outdoors as a nurturing place to meet with their employees. Day- or weekend-long summer adventures can make the experience even more fun. Team-building exercises are much more invigorating if they're conducted in an open field than an air-conditioned, windowless boardroom, and brainstorming tends to be much more productive if it's inspired by an enjoyable activity.

Similarly, company picnics and barbecues can be great opportunities to get to know your loyal employees on a more personal level. If you can build a connection to off-work activities and family lives, communication can become much easier.

Summer business perks, like Christmas bonuses, are nothing new in the working world. In recent years, however, they've largely been forgotten in favor of increased revenue and employee contribution maximization. Thankfully, you have the power to turn that around for the lucky people who work for your company. In fact, as a small business owner, you have the opportunity to make your employees' lives better on a regular basis.

We welcome your comments about the articles on the Staples Business Hub. Please follow these simple rules when submitting your comments: Do not mention our competitors, the price you paid for products, URLs, or your personally identifiable information (such as your full name or address). Be considerate and courteous. Do not attack or insult other users, use violent language, or engage in name-calling. These types of comments will be removed. Our moderation team may read comments before they are displayed.